


Stay Busy

by orphan_account



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 00:36:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14532858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Peridot staves off ennui. Amethyst observes and does her part to help.





	1. Plants

While Amethyst and Peridot hadn't decided on a good location for their garden, Pearl suggested planters, and Peridot took the idea to heart. Having their flowers close to home with a minimum of fuss was appealing, and so Amethyst helped her spend the morning preparing some boxes, sitting just outside the front door to the Beach House. Pumpkin watched with interest through the window as they worked; Cat Steven slept next to her.

It was only the four of them at the moment. Steven was with Greg, still keen on documenting Sadie Killer and the Suspects, Garnet had gone in search of a corrupted Gem, and Pearl had the mundane task of getting groceries. 

Peridot, looking for things to do with herself, had been inspired by Pearl's errand to ask her for a basic culinary lesson before she departed. Pearl seemed glad to oblige. "When I get back," she'd told Peridot.

Something about it struck Amethyst as funny. She knew Peri didn't eat. Sure, Pearl didn't--but she'd had a responsibility to feed Steven earlier in his life. It made sense that she'd learn to enjoy it. As she toiled over the planters, she imagined that maybe something Peridot had watched had convinced her this was needed knowledge.

 _I don't remember any cook-off in Camp Pining Hearts, but it's not like I watch it much anymore,_ Amethyst thought.

On the other hand, Peri could just as easily want something else to do with herself. It was nice, just seeing her doing new things; it was exponentially better that she was doing them side-by-side with her. First the gardening and then the improv. The cooking, however, would have to be something she did for herself; Amethyst was absolutely  _not_ to be trusted with it.

"You know," Amethyst said as she transferred some hydrangeas into the dirt, "Steven probably could have taught you just as well as Pearl. He makes a good breakfast."

"I don't know when he'll be back," Peridot said. "But Pearl seemed happy that I asked."

"Yeah, she loves giving lessons.."

"She said she thought I would enjoy the mechanics of it." Peridot took to topdressing the planter Amethyst had been working on.

"You probably will. She does," Amethyst grunted, turning her attention to another box.

"I'm-not-like-Pearl," Peridot said at rapid speed.

Amethyst snickered. "I didn't say you were, dude. You're definitely not wound as tightly." She got to her feet. "We can hang these on the railing. They already look great."

Peridot nodded. "Still... I feel like we could be doing more," she said, walking over to the deck railing. "Maybe I'm just used to having Lapis around. Her water powers were invaluable to our work back at the Barn. Imagine if she were here right now. We could have the greatest garden on the face of the Earth!"

"Maybe, but you realize she did you dirty, right?" Amethyst said dryly, picking up a metal watering can. Doing something with her hands was distracting her from the little voice saying that this was a subject best left unbroached.

"No," Peridot said, not totally grasping the slang.

"I mean, Pearl and I have had some disagreements but I would never take everything she shared with me if we weren't gonna share a game plan, too. That's just low," Amethyst said as she watered. "I guess I shouldn't be too hard on Lapis, though. I know she's like your best friend, or she was, and it's really none of my business..."

Amethyst trailed off, shaking her head. Seeing a friend hurting like Peridot was hadn't been easy, and she knew that she would never confront Lapis over what had happened even if she could. Sure as the wind blew, Steven wouldn't either. She wondered vaguely if Lapis would return, and if they'd carry on like she never left if she did. And if she did, she doubted that she'd be seeing as much of Peridot.

The thought brought her back to reality, and she glanced at Peridot, who was looking a bit uncomfortable.

Of course she was. Why wouldn't she be? Amethyst had long suspected Peri had feelings for Lapis that went beyond protecting her from any and all shakeups... 

"Let's go somewhere, do something, okay? I can do better than sass Lapis behind her back," Amethyst said quickly, to spare herself as much as Peri.

_You win for now, little voice._

"Good," Peridot said, relieved. "...What, exactly?" she continued curiously.

"Dunno, but I'll probably think of it soon. Maybe we can do some improv exercises," Amethyst replied.

"If you really want to. But can we not do 'Mirror'?" Peridot asked.

Amethyst grinned mischievously. "Why, 'cause I got a leg up?" Her gem glowed, and a moment later, she shapeshifted into a purple double of Peridot. It was old hat, and it didn't get the same reaction as it did before, but it was still fun.

"Yes! That's exactly it," Peridot said with a nod. "That being said..." She lifted the watering can with her ferrokinesis. "Only the true great and lovable Peridot can do this," she boasted, giving it a spin and sending rivulets of water everywhere.

Amethyst shifted back to normal, then summoned her whip and swung it, wrapping it around the can. "Well, she can't do this, can she?"

"Ha! Your skills with your weapon are no match for the might of my metal powers!"

Amethyst was dragged along the deck, scraping it with her boots as Peridot made the can fly left and right, a grin on her face. "Hey! Long as I'm thinking about it, I got something I wanna do for myself, if you wanna come with." She let go of her whip and rolled down the steps, wearing a grin to match Peridot's. "Pumpkin and Cat Steven can hold down the fort."

"What exactly are we doing?" Peridot asked, gazing down at Amethyst.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Amethyst walked out of the Big Donut clutching a paper bag, Peridot trailing behind her. "I'm havin' trouble keeping these new names straight," Amethyst said. "It's all Dewey this or Dewey that. But at least it keeps the guy from nosing in everywhere. And it puts a smile on his face. You gotta stay busy, you know?"

"Definitely. I can think of no other reason to become a nascent cook," Peridot said. She looked on as Amethyst reached into the bag and pulled out a bacon-wrapped donut, eyeing it dubiously. "But cook or not, I don't think I'll ever understand the appeal of these raised rings," she muttered as she watched Amethyst take a bite. Jamie had brought a couple dozen for the Laugh Guard one evening. The others had their share--Amethyst more than did, really. But Peridot...

"No offensh, 'Dot," Amethyst said with her mouth full, spraying crumbs. "Bu' I 'unno how you..." She swallowed. "...could. I mean--"

"Because I can't shapeshift the necessary organs," Peridot said flatly. "Yes. I remember Steven once arranged for a pizza to be delivered to me and Lapis. Granted, I'm not sure she enjoyed food any more than I do. But she did have the capacity to do so, and the gesture was appreciated."

"Coulda fused to eat," Amethyst suggested, nudging Peri a little.

"What?" Peridot said in a small voice.

"I'm just saying the thought had crossed my mind. Two Gems living together, people are gonna think they fuse all the time," Amethyst continued slyly.

There was a rapidly-intensifying blush on Peridot's face, and she stammered, "I could never--I mean, that's not--she couldn't--"

"I'm just yanking your chain, Peridot," Amethyst said, cuffing her playfully. "I know neither of you would fuse with anyone, let alone each other. At least, not now. And not on purpose." She leaned against the exterior of the Big Donut.

"Not now or ever," Peridot agreed flatly, mimicking Amethyst's action. "But the rest of you seem to enjoy it."

"Oh, yeah. You're not the rest of us, though," Amethyst said. "You've heard a lifetime of horror stories about this stuff and you could've gotten your Gem stomped in half for trying, most of your life." Her eyes shifted towards the sky. "That's how I heard it, anyway."

Peridot frowned. "That's not my problem. It's not Homeworld. At least, not all of it. It's just that I've already tried with Garnet, and it felt so... wrong. She told me to get ready, and I just stopped."

"Sooo...did your Gem glow?" Amethyst asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Not even close." Peridot coughed out a humorless, scratchy laugh. "It must seem pretty pathetic."

As the words left Peridot's mouth, Amethyst bit into another donut.

For several seconds, there was nothing but the sounds of her chewing, then she realized she should probably say something.

"Um, Peri..." she began thickly.

"There is no valid reason to be afraid of fusion, is there?" Peridot interrupted, her face screwing up. There was another humorless laugh; they were starting to irritate Amethyst. "Not on Earth. I must look ridiculous for it."

"Dude,  _no,_ " Amethyst said firmly. "Are you kidding me? If you saw something like Malachite--or even Sugilite sometimes, you'd probably ask why  _I_ wasn't afraid of it. Trust me."

"But--"

"It makes perfect sense. You could get carried away, get trapped, lose yourself..." Amethyst sighed. "I mean, I like it, most of the time. But you don't ever have to. You don't even have to try it. You're great being you."

Peridot looked down. She fidgeted. Then...

"I _am_ pretty great," she said boastfully, lifting her head again.

"There's my Pear," Amethyst said with a smile. She gazed in the general direction of the Beach House. "You know, Pearl's probably back by now. You gonna keep your plans with her?"

"I see no reason not to," Peridot said.

And together, they headed back.


	2. Pearl

"You think you and Pearl are gonna get along?" Amethyst said as the house came into view.

Peridot frowned slightly. "I want to. I wouldn't have asked about this if I thought that we couldn't."

"That'll probably be enough, then," Amethyst said, walking up the steps to the deck.

Peridot could hear a faint yipping as she approached, and made her way in on the double.

"Yes, Veggie Head, here I am!" Peridot cooed as she entered the Beach House, Pumpkin barking joyfully as she did, spinning around on the spot. Peridot crouched down next to her pet. "Aw, you missed me being inside with you, didn't you? You behaved while I was gone? Of course you did, you're a good girl..."

A few feet away, Pearl was unloading the groceries; noodles, butter, cheeses, cat food...

"Awww, nice!" Amethyst exclaimed, going to tear the bag of cat chow open.

"Amethyst, that's for Cat Steven. Garnet was _explicit_ on this matter," Pearl said, pulling Amethyst away from the groceries.

"But I  _am_ Cat Steven, P." Amethyst shifted into the kitten's duplicate. "See? Check it out! I'm Cat Steven!"

Pearl narrowed her eyes. "Mm-hm."

The real Cat Steven padded over and looked blearily at the scene unfolding before her.

"Hey, Cat Steven," the purple kitten said to her calico counterpart. "How do you like meeting me: Cat Steven?"

Cat Steven yawned and wandered away again, and Amethyst returned to normal. "Tough room," she shrugged.

"What was the point of those if you were going to come home hungry?" Pearl gestured at Amethyst's empty bag from the Big Donut, which she had dropped on the floor.

"I just like the taste of the stuff you got her. Good an' gamey," Amethyst shrugged. "It's like a black hole in here, anyway." She patted her stomach.

Pearl sighed and put a hand to her face. She turned her attention to Peridot, who was still fawning over Pumpkin. "Peridot, whenever you're ready, we can get started."

"Hmm?" Peridot murmured distractedly, turning to Pearl. "Oh. Yes." She stood up straight and moved.

"I'll leave you two to it," Amethyst said. Pumpkin yipped at Peridot as she moved over to the tall Gem. "When it comes to food, the journey isn't a bit as interesting as the destination to me. 'Sides, I'll bet I can find someone out there more generous with the cat chow..."

"'Bye, Amethyst," Peridot said, watching her head back outside.

"See you soon," Amethyst said as she disappeared around the corner, shutting the door behind her.

Peridot looked at Pearl. "I'm ready."

"Not quite, Peridot," Pearl said. "Whenever you're preparing a meal, you need to remember to wash your hands thoroughly."

"Okay," Peridot said flatly.

"Especially considering you live in Steven's bathroom..." Pearl seemed to shiver a little at the thought.

"I like living in Steven's bathroom," Peridot said, a bit defensively.

"Oh, you're allowed to," Pearl said, in a tone that suggested she had no idea why Peridot felt this way. "It's just a bit unsanitary. Although I'm not convinced that barn was much better."

"I liked the barn too," Peridot retorted.

"Of course you did," Pearl said wearily. There was no judgment in her voice, thankfully. But Peridot knew she didn't totally understand this, either. "That reminds me, we'll have to go back there and drain the fuel from that tractor. I don't think anyone is going to be using it for a while." She went to the fridge to make a note of it. "I'm surprised it hadn't degraded by the time you started using it..."

Peridot washed up in the kitchen sink while Pearl took up a pen and neatly wrote a reminder.

Between the water on Peridot's hands and the mention of the barn, it was impossible not to think certain things.

"I haven't been out there since Lapis left. It doesn't hurt like it used to," Peridot said, turning the faucet off half a minute later. "But to lose everything like that..."

"Your whole world? The reason you get up in the morning?" Pearl said sagely, twirling the pen between her fingers.

"Exactly!" Peridot exclaimed.

"It's easy to understand what it's like. To give yourself over to helping someone you love. And then one day, they're not there anymore. And you have no idea what you're doing without them," Pearl continued wistfully.

Peridot was trying not to be too impressed, but it was like Pearl was seeing straight inside her heart.

But then, she glanced at the portrait up on the wall, of the pink-haired, serene-looking Gem in a white dress.

Of course. This wasn't about Peridot or Lapis at all.

But at least Pearl got it.

"We're not the same, of course," Pearl said(Peridot was frankly relieved to hear it straight from her mouth). "Not really. Wherever Rose went, I don't know if there's any coming back." She had obviously picked up on Peridot's understanding. "Lapis Lazuli is a very different matter."

"I know enough to know _that_." Peridot rolled her eyes a little. "I just think if Homeworld comes, and we fight, and we win, I might get to see her again." She didn't want to admit that Lapis, as far as she knew, had no way of telling when or even if these things would happen. Granted, it wasn't like anyone on Earth knew, either.

Pearl gave her a knowing look. "Three ifs in a row, each successive one sounding less likely." She busied herself taking out a pot, but she was still attentive to Peridot.

"You don't think we can win?"

"Oh, I think we can win. Before we met you, before we even met Amethyst, we'd already faced impossible odds. Of course, the war was different. Our numbers were much stronger. But now, it's beginning to seem like we have more new allies every day. And we owe much of that to Steven. It was his grace that led to us meeting Lapis at all." She moved around Peridot and started filling the pot with water.

"If she'd stayed, she could've taken those Homeworld Gems down faster than any of us. I know she could have," Peridot said.

"She  _is_ extraordinarily powerful. It's just a shame that there was no starting on the right foot with her. Even if she had her freedom as soon as I saw her, she would have returned to Homeworld immediately." Pearl took a large spoon out of a drawer. She was starting to look shifty. "You and Steven were the only ones keeping her here," she said. "I mean--I  _had_ been, in my own way. Not like you two."

"Why couldn't anyone get her out of that mirror before Steven did?" Peridot asked. "It can't have been that hard."

"Mistakes were made," Pearl said. "There were no Lapis Lazulis allied with the Crystal Gems. It was just terribly unfortunate for her that everyone--that Homeworld, Garnet, Amethyst, and I made assumptions..."

"And that she was stuck in there," Peridot muttered, looking up at Pearl's forehead.

"Peridot," Pearl said, with a bit more force than expected, "what did I just tell you?" The task at hand, it seemed, was going to wait.

Peridot wasn't sure where Pearl's sudden spike of emotion had come from. She wasn't even sure what the emotion _was._  She thought about what Pearl was saying. "That there were no Lazulis on your side. That you all made assumptions."

"Yes. But there's more to the story," Pearl said.

Peridot looked intently at Pearl. "I'd like to hear it before we start."

"And I would like you to hear it. As I said, and even if I wish it weren't the case, it wasn't just something we could blame on Homeworld entirely. I don't know how barbaric they became since I left, but in my time, when I was there, they didn't make a habit of imprisoning sentient Gems in objects. I didn't know Lapis was self-aware. Do you think if I had, that someone with our ethos would keep an innocent Gem trapped like that?" Pearl's tone was odd, almost weary--but not the same kind of weary as before.

It occurred to Peridot that this was probably what guilt sounded like.

She then tried to imagine the kind of Gem that would deserve what Lapis experienced. The picture of a Quartz warrior popped into her head. It definitely wasn't like the one on the wall, or like Amethyst. It was a brutish, senseless, kill-for-kicks monster. Someone who Peridot would probably only meet in a nightmare.

"Perhaps if you thought she was a Homeworld loyalist...a really nasty one, then you may as well have left them--"

Like the sun behind fast-moving clouds, Pearl's weariness vanished. She now seemed agitated again. "No! That's not who we are, that's a war crime. No matter how vile they might have been, Rose never would have hurt the helpless like that."

"Right. Almost as long as I've lived on Earth, it's been my understanding that Rose Quartz was perfect," Peridot said.

Pearl shot Peridot a look, scrutinizing her. It was like having her Gem scanned by a Robonoid.

For a moment, Peridot wondered why. Then it came to her.

_She thinks you're being sarcastic about Rose Quartz...again._

A memory came to Peridot, that of the Moon Base, of the Crystal Gems being furious with her, of Garnet forcefully telling Peridot how she didn't understand...

Fortunately, Pearl must have realized that Peridot _wasn't_ being sarcastic, because she continued, "She definitely  _felt_ that way to us."

"She would have let Lapis go, wouldn't she?"

"I'm afraid I can't go that far. Lapis would have been bubbled. She nearly was, by us." Pearl folded her arms, gazing at the door to the Temple. "Her suffering would have ended then, but she wouldn't have led you to us. And the Earth would be destroyed by the Cluster. Of course, Steven found a better way."

She sighed.

"I don't know if I could ever express how proud I am of him."

Peridot had the sense that Pearl wasn't even talking to her at this point.

Pearl seemed to suddenly remember Peridot was there. She glanced her way and her cheeks turned blue.

"Will you keep this between us, Peridot?" Pearl said, embarrassed. "I feel I may have said more than I should..."

"I thought Amethyst was supposed to be the irresponsible one," Peridot snorted. She didn't point out how unusual it was that Pearl bared her soul to her at all, but then, they were never alone with each other.

"I can see she's rubbing off on you," Pearl said, unamused.

Now it was Peridot's turn to look shifty. "Which part is it that I'm supposed to keep between us?"

"How proud I am of Steven," Pearl replied.

Peridot looked puzzled. "Why?" she blurted out.

"Because I always prefer that he hears this sort of thing from me, directly," Pearl said.

"Oh."

"Now, why don't we get started making Fettuccine Alfredo and you can pay me for the lesson with your  _silence_  with him on that particular topic?"

Peridot considered. "It sounds like it's worth more than that..."

Pearl sighed. "You really _are_ spending too much time with Amethyst."

Peridot grinned and let out an especially-obnoxious "heh heh heh."

Pearl grumbled something that sounded just a bit like, "Twerp." Still, Peridot thought she could see a bit of a smile on her face. "Alright. We're going to be working with a recipe I have written down right...oh! Over here..."

* * *

"She called you a twerp? Are you sure?"

"Not entirely. It just sounded like it. It wouldn't have been the first time. She was far angrier the first time."

Amethyst laughed, before digging into a paper bowl full of pasta with one hand, supporting the bowl with the other hand. They'd made their way outside again, several meters away from the house. "Man, if you dragged her down to that level, you must've really gotten under her skin somehow."

"She indicated that I was reminding her of you," Peridot said.

"Of course," Amethyst said, rolling her eyes.

"That being said, I think she was smiling?"

Amethyst looked pleased by the idea. "Oh. That's not so bad, then."

"None of it was as bad as I probably just made it sound. Neither is Pearl," Peridot admitted. "Don't tell her I said that."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Peri." Amethyst turned back towards the Beach House. "YOOOO! P! YOU'RE GONNA WANNA HEAR THIS!"

"Amethyst!"

"Shush, Peri! Pearl's gotta hear how much you LOVE HER!"

"Amethyst, I don't think--"

Amethyst snickered. "Yeah. You're right. She doesn't need the boost to her ego. Not at the moment, anyway. Even if I don't always wanna admit it, Pearl can be pretty rad."

"And the Fettuccine Alfredo?"

"It's pretty rad too," Amethyst said.

Peridot smiled.

"I'd probably be enjoying it more if I hadn't gone and filled up on cat food."

The smile on Peridot's face lessened, but it was still there.


End file.
